HP & The Siriusly Good WC Adventure
by justPracticing
Summary: The war is over, in Britain at least. But war never ended for Harry. Upon the tenth anniversary of Sirius' apparent death Harry finds what he's looking for; a chance for an escape, a hope thought long lost. Yet again unto the breach Harry goes for his wildest adventure yet!
1. Chapter 1

**HP & The Siriusly Good WC Adventure**

 ** _The war is over, in Britain at least. But war never ended for Harry. Upon the tenth anniversary of Sirius' apparent death Harry finds what he's looking for; a chance for an escape, a hope thought long lost. Yet again unto the breach Harry goes for his wildest adventure yet!_**

Harry awoke slowly, his body wracked with great pain. He stood up slowly and wobbled slightly before falling quickly, his knees impacting the earth with a loud thud. The pain flared greater than before and he doubled over, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the dirt.

"Uhh" he groaned, wiping the corners of his mouth with the sleeve of his dark robe. "That was the worst idea I have _ever_ had", he gasped out slowly.

The pain, once almost unbearable was beginning to recede however slowly as he remained crouched on the ground. His vision however still remained blurry, pieces of his glasses lying strewn across the ground close to where he originally fell.

He stood up slowly, no longer encumbered by intolerable pain and held forth his arm, palm open and concentrated sharply. Into his hand came a wand, and not just any wand, but the greatest wand ever made. The Elder Wand. The Wand of Destiny. The Deathstick. It went by many names and it now owed its allegiance to Harry Potter, the true Master of Death. A feeling of relief shot through at him at being reunited with his only means of defence and survival in this unknown land. Accompanying this feeling as the wand answered his call was a rush of power both invigorating and alluring as eldritch energies briefly flared around him washing away the last remnants of pain.

Harry flicked his wand upwards sharply once and his shattered glasses repaired themselves instantly and flew towards his face, gently settling in place. Vision back in focus, Harry surveyed his surroundings with the practiced ease borne from the experience of gruelling Auror and Unspeakable training. Said training was further bolstered by his tumultuous school years and memories of the war years previous.

The eerie quiet of the forest was the first thing Harry noticed. The trees were still healthy and strong, reaching long into the sky. Yet nothing stirred, nothing moved and nothing sounded. He acknowledged the potential differences there could be between worlds, yet his gut feeling had never led him astray and he would trust it again here: something was wrong. Only the ever present rustling of the leaves and branches caused by the wind upset the unnatural silence permeating the forest.

Upon the wind was the second thing of significance; the smell of acrid smoke, ash and fire. Even worse were the faintest scents of death and decay, imperceptible to all but whom would be intimately familiar with such things.

Harry made a complex motion with his wand which upon completion caused the ground beneath him to tremble then take form as it raised itself underneath him so he could view without obstruction. Fire raged in the distance on one side as great plumes of smoke were visible above a city, obscuring the rest of the skyline. Elsewhere there was more forest yet in the opposite direction to the burning fire's lay the ocean. Harry could also briefly make out signs of settlement in the distance.

" _Point me_ Sirius Black." Harry incanted, his wand spinning towards the settlement and out across the ocean. A wry grin crossed his face, "Well, that's somewhat of a relief at least." he murmured softly.

With his direction decided, the earth supporting him collapsed down gently and he set off through the forest at a brisk pace; nonetheless on guard from whatever danger may exist.

Harry stood upon the edge of a cliff overlooking the settlement, pleased he had made his way successfully. What was not pleasing was a horrifying army composed of what looked to be strange forms of inferi led by a dark wizard were almost upon the settlement gates. Upon the cliff face the sounds of panic and frantic action from the settlement could be heard. Already a series of boats were leaving the settlement harbour and were making their way out to sea. All the guards present within the settlement had taken on defensive positioning behind the gated wall; the only thing between them and the undead force. It was a futile effort in Harry's estimation; the other force easily outnumbered them more than three to one. Yet what else could they do but try and afford as much time as possible for the rest to make it into the boats and escape.

A cold smile crossed Harry's face and his heart swelled with righteous fury and determination; these people wouldn't stand alone to face their doom. He was Harry Potter, the greatest wizard of his time. The man all dark and evil beings feared. It wasn't always so, yet by Merlin the naïve and foolish child he once had been was cast aside long ago. The end of the war had shown him how far he had yet to go to become strong; and strong is what he eventually became. No amount of inferi or singular wizard could defeat him now. With that final thought, he vanished with a sharp crack.

The sudden, noise of apparition was incredibly startling to the guards whom were already under significant stress. A human suddenly appearing in accompaniment from thin air alongside the mysterious sound didn't help either. Weapons already drawn were immediately put to use as the guards charged the mysterious intruder, intent on cutting him down.

"STOP!" Harry spoke in a voice amplified by magic. "I am not an enemy, I am here to help you; but you must remain _calm_." The final word caused a wave a soothing magic to wash over the guards advance halting them. The Elder Wand glowed brightly in Harry's hand. "I need you to remain behind me and do nothing foolish, I will handle this, I promise you." The guards had lowered their weapons collectively and were no longer showing serious signs of fear or desperation, their faces displaying a more relaxed countenance than previous. Harry's calming and compulsion area charms had cut through their negative emotions to pacify them significantly.

Having dealt with that problem, Harry immediately turned towards the gate. In one moment it was still intact, the next it was sundered apart in one blow. The wreckage that was the wooden gate moments before was splayed across the ground in front of him, smaller pieces of it falling just short of where he stood. In the gate's place now stood something out of a nightmare. A grotesque creature whose body was composed of the sewn carcasses of the deceased stood over 3 metres tall armed with a bloody cleaver and a wickedly sharp hook sewn onto each arm. Drool and gore dripped from its mouth in bloody globules as its rotting, black eyes focused in insatiable hunger on the humans in front of it.

Smaller but malevolent creatures nonetheless which travelled on all fours ran past the abomination, their misshapen and overlarge jaws dripping with saliva. Their wicked front claws glistened in the sunlight and these creatures growled in hunger and anticipation of the feast that was to come. The undead creatures didn't attack however, but arrayed themselves in actual formation inside the walls, an unholy gleam in their eyes. Slowly the abomination started forward, behind which walked a man decorated in a long black robe and a ceremonial mask obscuring his face. A small set of horns adorned his head and a black staff was carried by him; blackening the ground where its base touched.

The dark wizard stopped behind the line smaller inferi-like creatures, the larger abomination by his side. He gestured sharply with his free hand towards Harry and a singular creature pounced towards him with claws extended and mouth agape, eager to rend and tear flesh from the living. A flash of motion from Harry with wand in hand cut short its deadly flight. The grotesque being was transfigured quickly in a bright flash to a rubber ball. Harry caught the ball with his free hand. Never taking his eyes from the dark sorcerer, the ball in his hand abruptly caught fire which he threw back towards the undead force. The magic sustaining the transfiguration collapsed, leaving behind the smoking ruin of the misshapen undead corpse. Its foul unholy body gave off a horrifying stench which caused the guards behind him to shuffle uncomfortably in both unease and disgust.

Behind the mask, the necromancer's eyes widen perceptibly and then narrowed quickly, "I feel nothing from you mortal. No mana was expended and I sense none within you yet magic was undoubtedly performed." He trailed off inquisitively his face directed at the smoking corpse on the ground.

"The ability to cloak magic is something unheard of; if you surrender peacefully no harm shall befall you. We, the cult of the damned are always looking for fresh talent. You need only lay down your wand and immortality, riches and power beyond your dreams will be yours for the taking! I, Nerod whom was personally trained by the arch lich Kel'Thuzad himself who serves gratefully under our eternal and great master the Lich King, offer you this generously." Nerod stated imperially.

A flash of relief shot through Harry at the conclusion of Nerod's ramblings. He had completely forgotten English was unlikely to be spoken on a world far apart from his own. Yet here was evidence to the contrary, what a spectacular piece of luck. Harry realized in hindsight his brief exchange with the guards could've turned far worse and he cursed himself for this enormous error. Was he still the ridiculous school boy charging into danger at slightest provocation with no plan or prior information? Clearly so, he sighed imperceptibly.

Having processed the ridiculous and most self-aggrandizing monologue he had heard in a long time, Harry took note to ask someone knowledgeable about half the terms he had just heard in the future. It was time to teach this moron the most valuable lesson he had learnt in magical warfare, 'He who strikes first, oft strikes last'.

Harry raised his wand quickly and summoned forth his hatred for a man who clearly took delight in the suffering and pain of others. Not to mention his _undead_ allies.

"Avada Kedavra" Harry spoke.

A jet of deadly green light burst forth from Harry's wand arrowing towards Nerod intent on claiming his life. "You fool!" Nerod spat, a black translucent shield springing up in front of him. "I shall now slaughter you painfully after stealing your secrets from your mind and then raise your corpse to serve in undeath fore…" Whatever else he had to say was cut off abruptly as the killing curse without resistance passed through the shield as if it was never there and struck Nerod who crumpled instantly, like a puppet with its strings cut.

Harry laughed heartily as the horns that were attached to the dead sorcerer's head rolled off when the body impacted the ground. He thought they looked faked.

The undead horde lost all semblance of control with the death of the necromancer and charged forward, cohesion and formation lost. Their minds filled with murderous insanity driven by the insatiable hunger for the flesh of the living in front of them. Blind to all else they missed the ocean swell greatly and slam into them from the side, destroying their balance.

The guards' countenance took on looks of awe and amazement as the water began to cocoon itself around the writhing undead. Both the ghouls and abomination failed to escape the rapidly building sphere of water no matter how they thrashed and thrived. Their flailing limbs jutting out violently of the sphere in erratic moments only to be pulled back in by the roiling force of the water, steadily growing to encompass them all.

Only the muffled screeches of the undead remained accompanied by Harry's slightly laboured breathing, the rest of the beach was silent. A freezing charm left Harry's wand turning the sphere of water into a massive block of ice. This was quickly followed by a banishing charm which sent the undead ice cube spiralling far out into the ocean; and then the beach was truly silent.

Harry turned towards the awe struck guards, "So I need to head that way," he said whilst pointing out across the ocean, "Any chance there's a spare cabin for me…?" he trailed off lightly, a slight smirk adorning his face.

The silence continued for a moment, then another, and another. Then the cohort of guards raised their weapons in gleeful cheer whilst they voiced their praises to having been saved from certain death.

It looked like he wouldn't have to conjure up a ship after all, Harry thought happily. Now he just had to find out just what the hell was going on!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

The howling wind could be heard outside the ship as it cut smoothly through the ocean. The crew carefully coordinating with the other ships in order to stay in formation to reach Kalimdor safely barked out loud orders on deck and men and women ran back and forth; their footprints echoing quietly upon the wooden floors. None of this reached one Harry Potter at the current moment however as his mind was pre-occupied with the most absurd tale… Well perhaps not the _most_ absurd but still. Even fairy tales back home weren't as outlandish.

"So just so I'm clear on this. An undead force managed to rise up within the kingdom due to the apparent disinterest of the nobility in taking countermeasures immediately only to find themselves completely incapacitated when the crown prince committed patricide. The undead armada now lead by the turncoat prince annihilated the kingdoms allies; the magical nation of Dalaran and the kingdom of High Elves. Afterwards they summoned forth… an army of demons?" his voice trailing off at the end.

"In between all this however, many people have attempted to escape to the continent across from this one where none of your people have ever gone before. This was put in motion upon the words of the sorceress Jaina Proudmoore, who encouraged people to flee before the kingdom truly fell."

Harry's countenance was one of disbelief, not that the captain could blame him certainly. It seemed ridiculous to him as well.

"That is my understanding of it, my lord sorcerer" the captain remarked.

"For the last time captain," Harry began with exasperation, "it's just Harry, plain old Harry."

Indeed, having every witch and wizard falling over themselves in their haste to bow to him was irritating in the extreme. It served as an incredible motivational tool to perfect illusory charms though.

In hindsight it also was effective in driving him towards accepting the ministries offer to work amongst the aurors and unspeakables and look how that turned out in the end. Another fucking trap, yet one cunningly disguised as something worthwhile and intriguing; bound not by rope or chain but something far more sinister, perceptions and misconceptions. Too long had he lingered there and surely enough he had learned the hard way that bands of silk, silver and gold often tie you more tightly than ones of steel or magic.

"Forgive me, lo… Harry, it may seem difficult to…" began the guard but was cut off quickly by Harry's raised hand.

"I'm sorry captain for the momentary distraction; it wasn't out of disbelief for what you have conveyed to me I assure you. Just… unpleasant memories." Harry trailed off wistfully.

Shaking his head to help rein in his wandering thoughts, the captain was taken off guard by the intensity of the sorcerer's apparent gaze before him. Save for the battle at the beach, the sorcerer's attitude had been a farcry from how others of his ilk had acted. Granted, he had only known him for a handful of hours but his carefree and laidback attitude was truly a godsend. The people he had stayed behind for to defend until the very end hardly needed a dour, serious mystic barking out orders and demands. They had already endured enough hardship in their lives without strangers upsetting them even more.

"You were amongst the last, if not the last people to leave for the new continent?" questioned Harry.

"I believe so, many fled almost immediately from their homes when word went out the elves fell. Many rushed to the coastal settlements once they heard word of Lady Jaina's expedition and began passage west. The village we resided in was rather small and out of the way, it's why we weren't set upon for a time. We stayed around longer than we anticipated as refugees continually came by looking to escape. Eventually they dried up and we were decided upon leaving as well but then the undead came to us on that day and well… we knew we couldn't get all the villagers on in time so we chose to buy them as much time as possible. The rest is where you come in, Harry."

The captains eyes narrowed and his tone became tinged with disgust, "The tales told by survivors are disturbing. The undead don't feel pain or tire like other men; they're like vultures, sickening monsters whom feast upon the dead flesh of either man or beast. Their unending slaughter merely fuels their war machine, atrocious abominations and other dark creatures bought to life by unholy magic and…" the captain stopped here to take a breath, as if about to divulge something particularly painful, "the corpses of men, women and children." He ended in a whisper, perhaps in hope that volume of his words would mask his disgust at ever having to speak such distasteful words out loud for the world to hear.

It was difficult at times for Harry to be near non-magicals. Having no innate psychic defence their emotions in times of duress radiated from them strongly. To a master of mind magic such as Harry, it felt at if he was being drowned by the emotions that were broadcasting unaware. The lingering sense of despair, disgust and regret permeated the small cabin they occupied.

"Terrible tragedies indeed have your people endured, captain. Take heart from the fact you have served them proudly and with great honour. Many others have I known would have chosen the easy path, to escape without delay. Yet you stayed until the bitter end and saved many people; you walked the right path and need not hold yourself responsible for not managing to accomplish more." Harry stated solemnly, hoping his words could bolster the captains flagging spirit.

The negative emotions that once held dominion over the captain began to fade, replaced with a reluctant smile.

"You're right you are, Harry. Yet it's still difficult to accept. The trials we faced here are over and already we move towards lands essentially uncharted and we are void of any true information about them. Not the best prospects for people who already have lost almost everything."

Harry smiled encouragingly at the captain, "I give you my word I won't leave you all upon arrival. With any luck we can rendezvous with the other refugee's quickly. Perhaps they've even set up an encampment which we can easily find?" Harry supposed.

It was possible Sirius was on the other continent as well as his tracking charm hadn't changed direction much. Upon reaching their destination he realized that others may even know of Sirius' whereabouts, or even rumours of passing. He wouldn't put it past Sirius to prank people from another dimension, the cheeky dog. Perhaps this 'Jaina Proudmoore' character had magic that could aid him in his search as well. After all, saving her fellow countrymen ought to get him in with a bit a favour.

"You're a good man Harry," the captain said with a rueful grin forming on his face, "you're also a rather strange sorcerer. Most of them that I've met have been rather, well…" he trailed off, seemingly unsure of how to voice his concerns.

Harry answered his unspoken thoughts rather directly, "A bunch of obnoxious, uptight, arrogant tossers?" he finished with a laugh.

"Pretty much" the captain laughed alongside Harry, unable to think of anything to add to his rather apt description.

"Well, when I meet them at least it'll feel just like home then." Harry stated wryly.

The captain tilted his head sideways, his features tinged with curiosity, "Where do you hail from? Your accent is unlike any other I have heard."

Harry momentarily paused, as if weighing something up mentally before he spoke in a forlorn and soft tone, "Someplace far, far from here, captain."

Sensing the abrupt change in the mood, the captain stood up quickly and spoke plainly, "Well, you're more than welcome here. None of this captain business either anymore, call me Hadrian, by the light you certainly needn't stand on formality with us. I'll leave you to your rest, you certainly need it."

Harry smiled and nodded his head at Hadrian who walked to the door and opened it preparing to leave.

Before he closed the door behind him he turned to face Harry, "I'll let you know when we serve dinner or trouble arises from the light knows what in these oceans."

"Nothing should trouble us on the ocean, Hadrian. I took the liberty of casting protective enchantments that will most likely deter anything from attacking us." Harry stated calmly, his warding skills were impressive and his victorious encounter with the dead necromancer bolstered his confidence his work couldn't be undone or seen through easily by this world's inhabitants.

Hadrian nodded his thanks and closed the door. It was incredibly impressive Harry could cast spells capable of shielding multiple ships. From what little he knew it was very difficult to protect such a large area in such a short time unless the sorcerer in question was extremely powerful.

It was possible he was bluffing but Harry definitely didn't strike him as a man to lie so casually about something important, despite his rather lax and carefree attitude. His brutal and swift victory over the horde of undead and their unholy sorcerer reinforced this belief.

Hadrian knew they were extremely fortunate to have Harry with them and one day he hoped he would be able to repay the debt he felt he owed. He was not alone with this sentiment, as it was shared across many others on board the ships on route to Kalimdor.

Yet in time they would come to truly appreciate the magnitude of their fortune when Harry came to their aid. For Harry was a sorcerer unlike any other seen upon Azeroth; and so the Master of Death drew inexorably closer to his destination, and the world would tremble at his coming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

 **A/N: Hey there everyone so it's my first story of hopefully many more and it's great to already have some reviews. The first few chapters have been short but that wasn't by design, I'm simply writing them all in one sitting and posting them with no edit. At some point I'll go back over them and re-write a bit of it but for now I've been powering through and hopefully will continue to do so. Sorry for the poor quality in some places. Its been suggested I write longer chapters which is what I have planned to do from the end of this chapter, these essentially serve as a prologue so hopefully it hasn't been too boring. Now we can start crunching through the meat of this story and see where it ends up.**

Day gave way to the night with the light of the moon shining down upon the surface, a pale imitation of the sun which hung in the cloudless sky hours before. Nothing stirred at night besides a small breeze that moved the sails gently back and forth. It was easy to get lost in thought on nights such as these, endlessly peaceful and calm.

Harry stood near the edge of the ship, looking down at the water below. The moon reflecting brightly upon the surface of the water so vividly, one could feel as if it were mere metres beneath, rather than miles away in the sky.

It was reassuring how similar this world was to his own; the devil was always in the details, however.

A singular moon and sun hung in the sky, at night and day respectively. The moon dwelt not alone in the night sky either, as it was accompanied by a myriad of stars all burning so very brightly so very far away. The constellations and positions were vastly different from Earth of course; however for one who took little notice of astronomy in their school years would find it pass by their notice. After all, how many can attest to truly paying attention to the night sky. The stars were always there, weren't they? Long after the passing of either magical or non-magical man, from birth until death, the stars did shine. What use was there for the masses to pay attention to what hung in the sky and affected them not at all? Something that was, is, and always will be generates little more than fleeting interest from most.

Humankind, magical and non-magical permeated this world too. Such a strange coincidence that human life could evolve identically to his own world. Perhaps there really is a higher power, watching over the lower realms and laughing as it drags life into existence on different worlds only to eventually turn away when bored, leaving their toys to do as they will. Just like children how they leave their toys strewn across the floor once their finished playing. English being spoken was certainly way out there in the probability scale, perhaps they _were_ in some sort of game. In the end though it matters little, for such ruminations do little for anyone but distract from the tasks at hand.

In time, he would learn more about this world and how it functioned; its magic, its people, its monsters and everything in between.

It was late though and he was very tired, apparating around the ships each day to perform magic tricks for everyone was exhausting. Not physically or in any magical sense, but mentally it was difficult. Keeping up the moral for everyone was critical. Scared people in unknown situations, especially those with families and young children do stupid things in times of panic. Best to keep them occupied; an easy gesture he was happy to make.

Many days had passed since they had left the encampment behind and people were beginning to relax and settle down though. The announcement that by tomorrow they should come in sight of Kalimdor was undoubtedly influencing their mood too. Not that he could blame them; the endless sight of sea didn't sit well with him either.

His tracking charm hadn't changed direction either, hopefully wherever Sirius was he was comfortable. The patronus charm could also be used to track Sirius down now that he was far closer to the other continent. He felt in his gut that this was definitely the right place and it hadn't often led him astray before. Yet such a powerful piece of magic could attract all sorts of unwarranted attention; whilst he felt confident in his abilities to defend himself it was best to stick to the less obtrusive and subtle tracking method for now.

He apparated quietly back to his cabin and quickly undressed and hopped into bed. Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring about a lot of work when they arrived, and the best preparation was always a goodnight's sleep.

The sun was at its zenith and bore down with uncompromising intensity. Those not part of the crew had chosen to stay underneath the deck to escape the uncomfortable heat.

On top however of the many ships within the fleet rushed the crew and members of the soldiers cohort, preparing to dock with the land rapidly approaching, they had finally made it.

They all showed signs of exertion, exacerbated by the suns heat. Sweat painted their clothes and naked flesh, particularly noticeable on some as it rolled down their faces in shiny droplets from their hairline.

Only Harry remained unaffected, his pale and cool countenance at odds with the tanned, frantic features of those running around near him. He caught Hadrian's questioning gaze looking up at him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he questioned with a light smirk, already knowing what the issue was.

Hadrian replied dryly, "There any chance you could help out us lowly mortals?"

Harry channelled his inner Dumbledore, eyes twinkling merrily as he replied, "Ah, you see me and think, 'Indeed, he must have used magic to shield himself from the piercing rays of the sun, why does he not afford us the same protection?' That is in fact, an erroneous way of thinking, young Hadrian! One must instead ask ourselves, not what magic can do for us rather, what can we do for magic." Harry trailed off quietly, scratching his temple as if to convey befuddlement, "I think that's something like he would say." He quietly muttered to himself.

Hadrian rolled his eyes, already used to the ridiculous nature of the sorcerer's sporadic whimsy. He knew when he was teased. Before he could reply however he was cut off abruptly.

"It's best to get used to the environment, Hadrian. I won't always be around to shield you all. It's best to begin adapting now, rather than later, yes?" Harry replied in a serious tone.

Hadrian turned away and nodded, he knew the sorcerer spoke truly and well. Who knows how long they'd be here for and relying on magic for every small problem now would leave them worse off for when it's gone.

The ship drew even closer now to the landing site they had scouted, already some of the ships had arrived and people had begun to disembark.

Harry turned to Hadrian with a laugh, recalling something pleasant, "We could always have a quick swordfight before we land if you're bored? His face sporting a wide grin, eyes alight with amusement.

In response, Hadrian scowled, before lapsing into a reluctant smile. His memories of that incident weren't altogether bad, after all Harry had given him another sword for the one he lost, apparently the one he now had was 'unbreakable'. That was seriously cool, although doubt nibbled at the back of his mind, perhaps it was enchanted to just be stronger and strike harder. Surely no sorcerer could make something indestructible; regardless he was itching to try it out on those filthy undead. He knew it wouldn't be long before they set their sights elsewhere.

Having convinced Harry to join him in a practice match, as he drew back to make his second strike against him the blade snapped off where it met the opposing sword. He dropped the entire sword in shock and Harry just stood there laughing, like the greatest joke had just been told. At least he knew why Harry didn't care about using live steel.

Apparently his sword had imbibed basilisk venom, whatever that was. Fucking sorcerers and their crazy ideas. Harry showed off his blade to the surrounding crowd after and it truly was an immaculate piece of work: sharp, sleek, deadly and it looked as if it had never been used. A giant ruby sat in the pommel of the sword which would surely be worth a small noble's fortune.

He asked Harry where he got it from and he received a nonsensical answer, 'From a hat', he couldn't tell whether he was being mocked or not. Harry was a better sort than most sorcerers he met, but he definitely still had his peculiarities.

"Perhaps later, far, far later" he said with a grimace, whilst tightening his grip on his sword's handle in a possessive fashion.

Harry just laughed.

The landing site drew nearer and from where they were standing on the ship they could begin to make out some of the basic terrain and geography. An endless stretch of desert could be seen careening off into the distant south. Rocky hills and craggy outcrops were all the rage it seemed in this desert and they jutted up everywhere and as far as the eye could see. They knew from maps there was a large forest occupying the northern areas of the continent but that was all.

It was safer to land here down in what seemed to be endless arid desert interspersed only be mountainous rock and the occasional cactus. This was the only known area allowing ships to disembark. Tempting fate by heading further up the coast could result in disastrous consequences; being unable to land was the least of these worries.

Their best bet would be to ensure everyone's safety here and then either head up towards the forest or further inwards in search of more hospitable lands. Hopefully here they could ascertain some clue as to Jaina's expedition passing by as well.

"I'm going to go join them on shore helping unload supplies and dock the rest of the ships." Harry said, able to apparate down now he could see where he was going.

In reply Hadrian just nodded.

Harry gave a mock solute and apparated away, the brief crack no longer startling the people on shore having become well accustomed to the sorcerer's strange method of teleportation.

As the ship drew closer to the shore, Hadrian silently prayed to the light. He hoped they would find salvation here, as well as the other survivors quickly. It went unsaid that hopefully nothing else found them in turn beforehand.

Just like all other prayers, this one too yet went unanswered as the Light was silent to him. However looking out across the landing site as his eyes passed over the sorcerer with dark black hair and green eyes, a stray thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps the Light had indeed answered their prayers, in a way he couldn't have possibly fathomed. Alas, only time would tell.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey sorry for the late update, thought of a oneshot I really wanted to write and started working on that but I finally got around to finishing this chapter. Should be the last prologuish chapter. Now the real story begins : ). Hopefully I'll be able to start replying to some of the longer reviews as well. Enjoy!**

The brilliant orange and yellow hues of the sun beginning to stretch forth past the vast mountains in the distance marked the fifth day of the Lordaeron's final group of survivors arrival to the new continent. It had been a difficult start; the uncompromising heat was a severe problem as people were unable to work under its influence for any lengthy period of time. People were vastly inexperienced when it came with dealing with the disparity between the climates of the continents, finding themselves suffering from heatstroke and dehydration far quicker than anticipated, halting their progress in setting up any degree of reasonable shelter.

Work had therefore been relegated to the evening or early hours of the day. Eventually, through the collective efforts all who came across, a rough and defensible encampment had been established. A collection of walls lined the perimeter, built from the timber of dismantled ships and stone which lay in abundance around the area. Houses consisted of the tent variety, much to the aggravation of some who had yet to hear the reasons behind such an idea.

The labour of setting up camp had finally finished in the evening hours of yesterday and finally everyone was able to sleep on solid ground, not needing any longer to crash in the uncomfortable, swaying hammocks of the docked ships or to hide there to take shelter from the midday heat.

In a tent that dwelt near the centre of their new camp, one indistinguishable to any other tent in any notable way, one might be surprised to find inside that particular tent, the entire population of the encampment.

The purpose of such a meeting that was about to take place was to discuss the plans for the future and everyone was required to attend. Many were unhappy to do so at such an early hour, yet their grievances quickly vanished upon setting foot inside.

A cool atmosphere greeted them, a stark relief from the previous one merely just outside. The ground was soft and spongy, its very state moulding itself to comfort them as well as possible as they sat down; a pleasant contrast to the hard and unyielding rock and sand they usually tread and slept upon.

Up at the front of the magically enlarged space was Harry who waited for everyone to take their seats and fall silent. As everyone eventually adjusted and finished exclaiming over the wonders of the tent, calls for silence from the guards near Harry eventually made their way through the crowd before them.

As the last people took a seat and fell silent, Harry nodded to the guards and they too sat down. Harry stood up and raised his wand to his throat and tapped it lightly and then addressed the people before him, his words magically amplified and reaching the furthest corners of the tent.

"Thank you for coming this morning, I know you're all still exhausted over the previous day's activities, however this meeting is important. I want to confer with everyone as to the direction we will move in from here on out. The basic premise here is that we are in the unknown; completely and utterly. The encampment we have here can only last for so long. Our supplies aren't unlimited and at best will last only a few months. We have little information as to what lies in the wilds here and our chances at procuring more of both water and food are negligible at best. The best course of action _is_ to stay here however, but hopefully for not too long. Whilst you are all here together, you share strength in numbers. Whilst you are all here together however, I will set off in search of the other survivors of Lordaeron hoping to make contact with them. When I find them I will be able to bring you all instantly to them and save you all the hazardous journey of traipsing across potential hostile lands. Hopefully the other survivors will have used their greater time here to good purpose and will have managed to develop a strong foothold here where we can all be safe. This is the best plan I could come up with; feel free to talk amongst yourselves and discuss freely ideas for improvement."

Harry sat down and assumed and meditative stance, the low murmur of chatter that had begun washing over him gently without distraction. It was best for them to remain here, leading more than a couple hundred people, of which many were women and children across the desert and other such harsh terrain was a recipe for a bloody disaster. Here they were relative safe, as long as nothing came to attack them, but they were relative isolated here. The land from what he could tell seemed very inhospitable. They would also be easily collected when the time came, he was confident he could find Jaina's expeditionary force in time.

Nonetheless, leaving behind defences of his own devising would be a prudent decision. It was a shame he couldn't just cover them in the Fidelius, none of them were magical and the greatly complicated spell could only work between two of his own kind. He doubted it could hide an area such as the one they occupied anyway, so the point was moot.

Hadrian had argued with him fiercely at first at having a few of his men accompany him when he left but he quickly shot down that idea. Despite their passion and valour, they simply wouldn't be able to keep up with him. He also didn't feel confident in being able to protect them adequately if they met something powerful and hostile. Best for them to all stay here and keep the moral up, people are less likely to panic when they feel protected.

The chatter began to die down slowly and Harry stood up, eager to hear how the plan would be received.

"Does anyone have any suggestions, or complaints?" he began.

A man rose from near the front of the room, "What happens if after two months you find nothing? You're only one man no matter a sorcerer. Isn't it better to get multiple people out in parties scouting for other survivors and resources to sustain ourselves?" he questioned.

It was a reasonable point, Harry thought. There was indeed the possibility of finding nothing.

"It's only my intention to keep you all as safe as possible. In truth, yes mate, you're right that having more people would bolster our chances of finding something. But do you feel you're capable of defending yourself from whatever _might_ be out there? To guide yourself and other people across unknown land at night and day, camping as you go? I understand most of you are farmers and craftsman. At the end of the day I am not your master, and if you feel best served by looking around for yourselves then I will do nothing to force your compliance. I know I'm asking a lot of you to place your trust in me, I haven't been around long. But I promise you I will search to the best of my capabilities; I have magic that can aid me in this endeavour. You do not."

"I understand, you have done us no harm and could easily have left us long ago or not come at all." The man took and deep breath and nodded to Harry, "By the Light may you be successful." He sat down, at ease with the decision to place his trust in Harry.

Similar looks were present across many of the other people who sat within the tent. Others were unhappy with the situation, how could they not be though, they were living on borrowed time and at any moment something could come and ruin anything. But they had little choice at the end of the day, and so all held their silence and prayed to the Light that Harry would come through for them.

No further questions were raised so the people began to leave the tent, with the day upon them they headed back to their own tents to prepare to accomplish what still needed to be done around the encampment.

The guards departed soon after too, after receiving orders from Hadrian, they set out to patrol the perimeters or help out with the ongoing construction and other duties before it got to hot. Only Harry and Hadrian now remained within the expanded tent.

Hadrian's restlessness was sensed by Harry, his unguarded thoughts contaminating the area around him. He turned towards him, an eye brow raised in askance over the unspoken question.

"Are you sure this is the best option?" Hadrian began, his frustration leaking over into his tone, "Many amongst the guard would be honoured to help, it's difficult to accept leaving so much to one man alone, even if he is a wizard. "

Harry mentally sighed, he knew by 'many of the guards' Hadrian referred mostly to himself. His sense of obligation towards Harry for defeating the undead and rescuing them were driving his reasoning in wishing to accompany him in search of the others.

"You're leader of the guard, you can't come. You already know this, we've been over it previously!" Harry said, his voice rising in volume towards the end. He took a deep breath before continuing, "It's more important for you to stay here, the rest of the men look up to you as well as the villagers for being the one to organise the defence back on Lordaeron."

Hadrian exhaled softly, it was somewhat grating to not have any true control over his and the other survivors fortune. It wasn't out of desire to appear the hero or for any sense of greater recognition, nonetheless the feeling of helplessness was an insidious one.

The inevitable approach of the undead force as the screaming symphony of families in the background scrambled towards the ships in a desperate bid to flee their impending doom, coupled with the frantic orders barked out to the guard was a memory he'd best rather forgo until he died. Just like then, the same feeling of helplessness lurked within him, not to the same intensity but still frustrating.

He knew Harry to be a man of honour however, "Aye, Harry; I will do as you bid," nodding his head once towards the wizard who opened his mouth intent on speaking but was quickly cut off. "Although if you say one more blasted time choosing between 'what's right and what's easy' I'll fucking punch you, by the Light!"

Harry just laughed; it was always good riling up people with a good old Dumbledore quote. The old man would undoubtedly get a kick out of knowing his advice is being dispensed in another dimension, he thought fondly.

"When are you planning to leave?" Hadrian asked, his question snapping Harry out of his laughter.

"Tonight if possible, I need to take care of a few things before I leave however," Harry answered.

Hadrian paused a moment, pondering something carefully. "Supplies and defences?" he hazarded a guess.

Harry nodded in answer, "I have one other thing to setup in case of an emergency as well. Always good to be prepared, eh?" he winked at Hadrian who scowled in reply. "Best to get started now though, I'll be working most of the day. I'll let you know when I'm finished; I most likely will leave after."

They both left the tent after that, intent on the tasks they had at hand.

Harry developed a series of golems which would spring to life when hostile intent was detected near the encampment. From what he could gather from his brief foray into combat here was that the majority of the beings who existed were mostly dependent on medieval means of weaponry. Swords, axes, maces, catapults, armour and everything else in between was all the rage.

The golems he developed and camouflaged into the nearby rocky hills would be a formidable defence in his mind; able to withstand all but the most grievous of physical blows, they would be nigh invulnerable to the weapons most prevalent here.

A magical barrage would be more effective, yet he was confident in his spell work being able to negate serious damage for a small time. From what little he gleaned from conversation however pointed to the fact that magicals, like on his own world were far rarer than their mundane counterparts. Even so, agile enchanted golems could be deadly to mages; his own vivid memories of the Battle of Hogwarts and the enchanted armoured warriors cutting down exposed and unprepared Death Eaters with ease were a testament to this.

The thought had crossed his mind before to set up other active enchantments to ensnare hostile forces directly with magic but quickly discarded it. Such defences are difficult and time consuming to set up; more important was the fact that such defences could also easily injure and incapacitate allied forces if they went out to engage the enemy.

He would let Hadrian know what he had done before leaving so he could account for the worst case scenario.

Now having finished the most important task, he turned to setting up the failsafe. A dynamical location large storage portkey.

A portkey generally was enchanted to move wizards and witches to a singular location. This one however would constantly update its target location based on Harry's magical presence, with a little leeway; it wouldn't do to have everyone fall on top of him now or off a cliff he was climbing on.

The tent he had expanded earlier would serve as the base for the portkey's large storage, the idea was to allow many people to make use of it at once, and then upon activation transport everyone inside near him.

The idea was first developed by Hermione, before her untimely death. Harry's thoughts were beginning to cloud and shook his head vigorously as if to shake them out before they could infect and poison his current mood. He had come to terms her death a long time ago now, no use bringing up the past, for it stayed the past. None of it could follow him here.

He raised his wand before the tent and began enchanting; it was going to be a long few hours.

The light of day was beginning to fade, the sun already halfway behind the vast mountains in the distance. A cool, pleasant wind blew across the plains; it was good conditions for travelling, thought Harry.

"All set then, Harry?" questioned Hadrian who stood behind him, alongside the majority of the guard and people within the encampment. They had come to wish him good luck for the journey ahead and thank him for all that he had done.

"Yes, I've got everything," he replied whilst tapping gently the small pouch he had attached to his belt.

Hadrian glanced at the small, leather pouch as did others who had seen the wizard stick an entire month's worth of food into a space no larger than his palm. The wonders of magic never ceased, it was reassuring to many however they had such a clearly powerful and resourceful mage helping them.

"Well, we won't keep you any longer then." Hadrian paused and took a step back and then bowed, as did the rest of the people gathered before him. A gesture of respect and gratitude for all he had done, not out of submission or duty. Harry would not deny them this; he knew everyone had their pride. His countenance changed slightly, his face sporting a calm, content smile, eyes twinkling.

Hadrian was the first to rise and look upon the visage of the wizard. Many times had Hadrian bowed before people, nobles, commanders, sorcerers one and all; often did they take pride in seeing people bow before them, and it showed. Their lips turned upwards slightly in a small smirk, as if privy to a secret pleasure only they alone knew, their eyes narrowed so slightly, drinking in the sight before them.

None of them looked like the man before him however, his expression one of a man truly at ease with himself, a man who holds great respect for all who come before him in peace, a man who understands.

Hadrian turned to face his lieutenant, "Bring the horse up."

Harry immediately cut short his order though with a laugh and quick, precise movements of his wand which ended in a sharp poke towards a rock on the ground.

Multi-coloured light burst forth from the tip and impacted the rock which began to swell abruptly and transform. It was only a few seconds ago where once was a rock now stood a horse.

Hadrian hadn't seen a polymorph quite like that before.

Harry conjured a set of reins and stirrups quickly and fastened them with a flick of his wand, mounting the horse soon after.

"By the Light, may you succeed," Hadrian intoned, which was echoed by those behind him, some not saying anything and still reeling from the shock of seeing a rock turn into a horse.

Harry turned in the saddle to face those gathered before him, "I promise I won't let you down" and bowed his head towards them for the saddle.

With a sharp kick the horse sprang into a gallop out towards the plains and the fading daylight, the dust lingering behind his trail in smoky swirls.

Soon he was lost to distant eyes of all those who stood in the encampment, and would not be seen again for sometime.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

It had been a few days since Harry had left the encampment and he still had yet to encounter anything of significance; no signs of dwellings or life. Having found nothing reassured him of his fears that the encampment would be safe from any kind of attack but it was equally frustrating as he had no way of finding any prudent information.

His tracking charm indicated Sirius was residing further north of his current position, which was promising since from the little knowledge people had was that the desert started to recede the further north you went. He was still reluctant to try sending a message via a patronus to Sirius or try tracking down Jaina and other survivors through magic. Tracking charms were easily blocked, or worse misled. It was entirely possible Sirius was not up north whatsoever, but his wand wasn't with him when he fell through the veil of death all those years ago.

Following the direction of his tracking charm for now was the best course of action in his mind. It hopefully brought him closer both to Sirius and also away from the inhospitable desert, where he was hoping to find denizens of this land to question.

Harry really regretted not keeping a broomstick on him at all times, life would've been much easier if he could've just flown over the land, quick and straight.

Darkness was beginning to encroach the land once more, the rays of the sun failing as it went beyond the horizon in the distance. Travelling at night was always risky business, many creatures native to his world possessed vastly greater senses; it could be no different here.

Not willing to tempt fate, Harry set up camp for the third time; intruder and notice me not enchantments layered around him as a necessary pre-caution. Sleep always came easy, horse riding was no relaxing task.

The morning came and Harry's sleep had remained undisturbed. He checked his tracking charms once again and nothing had changed. Sirius' position was still north of him, his wand pointing towards a massive mountain that loomed in the distance; faint clouds of mist encircling its peak, enshrouding it from view.

The rock once more became a horse and Harry conjured riding gear, ready to ride towards the mountain when suddenly his intruder enchantment was set off, causing a sharp sensation within his mind alerting him to the area in which it triggered.

With silencing and disillusion charms applied quickly, Harry apparated quietly behind some rocks fifteen metres away, near to the source of the disturbance. With wand ready, spells of binding and disablement on the tip of his tongue, Harry peeked out behind the rocks and scanned the area with narrowed eyes. A small frown appeared when nothing was there, which he followed with silent revealing charms availing him nothing.

His wand began to drop towards the ground, features relaxing minutely when sudden movement caught his eye and a strange yet familiar sound caught his ears, "Filthy green skins, filthy pink skins. Ruin home. Should've bitten them," a whisper of serpentine laughter followed as it continued to slither across the hot sands, "Yes, yes. Bite them for fighting in my home. So much noise. Yes, yes."

Harry sighed, the final remnant of Riddle left behind; his parseltongue gift still endured within him, the destruction of the Horcrux notwithstanding. Even from beyond the grave Riddle could still cause him grief. All that tension for a sneaky snake.

He turned around to apparate back, his mind turning over the past few minutes when the words the snake spoke came back to him suddenly, "Pink skins…" he whispered softly to himself, both a question and answer.

With sudden alacrity he dropped his charms nullifying both sight and sound and jumped out behind the rock, "Hey there snake, wait up! I need your help!" he hissed in parseltongue.

The snake rose off the ground, its fangs dripping venom and extended ready to do harm to that which would threaten it, "Who dares! Die sneaky snak…" it trailed off suddenly in sudden bewilderment, faced with another filthy pink skin, yet one that was talking its language.

The snake's tone lost its hostile edge, but not its aggressive stance, "No, no. No, snake. The pink skin speaks to us, the pink skin wants our help. Is it a trick? Sneaky pink skin…" the snake trailed off quietly, malice beginning to creep back into its voice.

Harry held up his hands, wand holstered in his sleeve and spoke as calmly as possible, "It's not a trick. I truly can speak to snakes, it's a…" he paused for a moment, "gift. A magical talent. I was wondering if you could help me answer some questions?" he asked suggestively.

Hearing no immediate reply or sudden hostile reaction Harry continued, "You mentioned pink skins, do they look like me? Could you tell me where they are?" need bleeding over into his voice with each question asked.

"Pink skin that speaks… Pink skin that speaks is magical," the snake took his time repeating the last words, as if slowly coming to an important conclusion after gaining dire knowledge, "Will pink skin help me too, help make intruders leave home?" Harry could've sworn he saw the snakes eyes narrow in almost humanlike fashion when fishing for facial reaction, perhaps snakes were cleverer over here?

Harry nodded slowly, "I promise to do the best I can," the other words the snake spoke about fighting circulated in his mind, his worry increasing, "You will show me where they are in return for your home being returned to the way it was?"

"Yes, yes. They are in my home. I show you, you show them out talking pink skin, both green skin and pink skin."

"A deal it is," Harry replied, relieved at the fact he finally had something to go on.

"Yes, yes. A deal is struck, pink skin."

Harry rolled his eyes; he had grown wary of having many names given to him, both earned and unearned, "Just call me Harry, is there something I can call you? 'Snake' sounds a little impersonal and cold, let's not go into pink skin either," he finished with a rueful smile.

The snake slithered towards him and began winding its way up his leg, slowly making its way to rest his body across his shoulder's, "Carry me, I am tired. Call me Master. Go towards the mountain in the distance. My home lies there."

Harry laughed, the snake was far more of a bastard than any other he met, seemed like a decent bloke though. He wouldn't be too happy if he had his home run over by others either.

Harry walked back and mounted the horse ready to head off towards the misty mountain, thoughts centred on what would await him when he reached it. These 'green skins' must be the orc's that people had spoken of earlier. A dangerous, violent race by all accounts it seemed, he hoped that the rest of the survivors were holding out.

As he kicked the horse into a trot, a voice startled him from his reverie, "Hungry, feed me something."

Harry sighed, it was going to be a long ride from here on out.

* * *

The landscape was beginning to change as they moved closer towards the mountain. No longer was there just endless stretches of sand and rock in every direction; a barren wasteland devoid of any life.

Shades of green were becoming more common, bursts of life and hope otherwise drowned in an endless sea of red, orange and brown. These oases were undoubtedly caused by the mighty mountain whose vast size influenced the weather conditions to be slightly more hospitable.

According to Master, this trend in the environment continued to get more prominent as they drew closer to the base of the mountain; although it wasn't expressed quite as eloquently. 'More food, more water, more grass' was how it was explained to him.

The orc's and human's had been fighting within the shadow of the mountain's entrance, desperately trying to hold the pass which allowed for passage into the mountain. The native wildlife such as the 'filthy, winged, clawed screechers' and 'disgusting four-feet' amongst plenty of other vivid descriptors were thrown into chaos with the emergence of the two warring races, causing them to either flee or fight. Apparently, both the orc's and the human's had stirred up serious resentment amongst many of the indigenous races to this continent, or so the word of other snake's revealed when Master passed them onto Harry.

He questioned Master on why he didn't flee into the mountain; surely there lay a greater chance of survival inside than out on the desert plains?

The reply was somewhat intriguing however and apparently the mountain was cursed; no animal truly felt comfortable in there. A lingering sense of dread and folly weighed down upon those that chose to venture inside, or so it was described by those who tried.

Harry was intrigued however, he certainly would be interested in exploring such a place wherein a powerful enchantment holds sway. He thought it would be likely that something incredibly important was hidden within, as the presence of both human's and orc's whom were willing to engage in battle outside the entrance was unlikely to be a coincidence. They undoubtedly knew something about this place that he didn't.

As Harry and Master drew inexorably closer, Master's words of guidance steering them onwards along the correct path, they came across the remnants of a small scale skirmish.

It was the smell that alerted Harry first, the putrid scent of death and decay swirling through the air; an undeniable clue of what was to come. As they pulled up over the small, rocky hill the sight of carnage assailed them.

The corpses of both men and orc, perhaps half a dozen each lay strewn upon the ground haphazardly in the positions in which they met their end. They hadn't been dead for too long, Harry noted. Blood still remained in shallow pools not yet dried or drained into the sands, their flesh not too badly damaged by the ravages of time; rather by the wounds inflicted upon them before death and the scavenging birdlike creatures that were feasting upon them as they laid there.

Sickened by the revolting display of feasting before his eyes, Harry drew forth his wand and conjured forth a fierce and deadly fire which swept down from the hill. It slammed into the unsuspecting creatures who immediately elicited cries of anguish and rage in rasping _human_ female voices.

Harry's surprise didn't appear on his countenance, his green eyes alone revealing the depths of his contempt and utter disgust for such behaviour. Furies, the word echoed in his mind. Creatures long since gone from his world, hunted down by magicals long past were still alive here. Despicable carrions, vicious, cruel wretches driven mad with hunger.

Those further away from Harry let out inhumane shrieks of retribution and rage as they took to the skies to flee from the conjured flame, their meal left burning and unfinished.

Master roused himself from his slumber around Harry's shoulders, "They see us coming, fool wizard. The smoke!" he spat out, irritated by Harry's impulsive action that sent a signal viewable by any who looked in their direction.

"Night is almost upon us, they won't be able to find us before we set up camp. I doubt either side will risk sending a large force to check on this," he paused, "You're still right however, it was a poor decision. Were close now however, we should make it before nightfall, yes?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, yes. Very close now. Master can show you a sneaky way into the hills of the valley entrance. Hidden, sneaky, out of way. Pink and green skins not see us, but we see them."

Harry nodded in reply, and rode onwards.

* * *

The dark of night was upon the world now, signalling the end to conflict for the day. Both human and orc combatants had retired to their respective camps, at opposing ends of the mountain entrance valley.

Harry had reached the upper regions of the valley before nightfall following Master's instructions and was able to witness for a short while the combat that took place beneath him. It wasn't what he expected however. The two warring factions seemed tentative, hesitant and unwilling to engage the other side in an actual fight, instead relying on conventional ranged weapons and their magicals to harass the other side without doing any real harm.

From Harry's position up in the hills he could see the entrance into the mountain, the two encampments shared stood roughly the same distance away from it. Their very positioning and aggression level suggested they were… waiting for something, perhaps. But what, he knew not.

Tomorrow would bring about more answers, of that he was certain. He could use the hostile actions between the two forces as a cover to slip by undetected. His most discerning tracking charms indicated Sirius' location to be within the mountain which was very intriguing. Without a doubt he had to go in there now.

It was tempting to infiltrate the human encampment under the cover of darkness and discover what was the point of this skirmish was and other important motives but quickly discarded such an idea. They would undoubtedly be on high alert and it was very possible even his best magic to make him elusive could be dispelled or pierced; he still knew little of the capabilities of magic here.

Best to use their wariness and alert against them, he was so close to achieving his primary goal here, undue haste could undo everything. If all goes well he could find Jaina's location here as well, solving yet another important issue, the safety of the survivors.

Hidden by more than just mere geography, Harry settled down for tonight, hoping to be ready to face what tomorrow will bring.


End file.
